Tarantis and Xandern
by Saphiere
Summary: Tarantis a female night elf warrior with questionable social skills and Xandern a male tauren warrior who is kind-hearted and warm pair up as they face the challenges laid before them so that they can become apart of the Argent Crusade and aid in the opposition of Garrosh.
1. Pilot

Tarantis:

The board was a call to Hero's, I am a hero...kinda. I wave a sword around and rescue innocents. The term 'hero' is a fickle term. Over the years I have walked this earth the definition is not set but rather a personal interpretation. I've seen a citizen rescue a cat and be called a hero and have seen blood spilled by warriors such as my self to protect innocents and it classed as 'what we do'. To be a hero does ones actions have to be recognised? Does ones intentions for raising the sword have to be clear...? To be a Hero to the Alliance could be a villain to the Horde, because of that realisation I enlisted in the Argent Crusade. To me they are the Hero's, people who can overlook differences and protect simply because one needs protecting. To do good without question. Sure they are not perfect but I have been alive a long, long time and right now this seems the most productive thing I could do to spend my time. Even though Arthas is no longer a threat, majority of the Argent Crusaders reside in Northrend. I have spent three weeks on this Light forsaken boat and Northrend's icy shores have yet to be spotted. The time spent means little to me, my race are known to live longer than most but this boat is small and the crew have questionable morals. I see some of the men eyeing me up, at first I thought it might be because they haven't seen a 'night elf' before, but the longer the stares the harder it became to justify their actions. These men do not have what it takes to be the consort of any woman much less a warrior elf who is probably seven times their age, I would unsheathe my sword and take a whetstone to it my stares making it clear what would happen to any who tried to act upon their lusts.

I walk out of the ships small excuse of a tavern and breathe in as the icy wind hits my face, my short blue hair whipping around my face. The light is harsh on my eyes, the little sun that there is amplified by the whiteness of the glaciers around us. I see what I think to be the outlines of a dock but I cannot be sure. I feel myself grinning as I notice a stray rope hanging from the mast, I run and leap onto it. The strain of my muscles a welcome feeling from the weeks of meagre practice due to lack of space on the ship. I pull myself up, laughing. The crew members grow smaller. I groan as I swing myself up onto the wooden supports and stand slowly careful not to lose my balance. I was correct...that is a dock! I laugh with glee not focusing on my balance as the boat hits a small glacier causing me to lose footing and fall from the mast. I twist mid air determined to land on my feet, but the force of impact is too much causing me to roll almost falling overboard if not for a strong hand yanking me just as I am about to topple into the frosty water.

"Careful, little one" a deep voice warns. I look up into the friendly face of a tauren

"Many thanks" I reply curious as to how he is here without being attacked before realising this is one of the Crusade's ships so of course there would be races of both factions on it.

"The names Xandern" The tauren says

"Tarantis"

"Like the rare spider near your factions capital"  
"one and the same" I grin as Xandern laughs a deep rumble.

"it's what one gets when both parents were beast masters" I sigh

"were?"

I grin again "'tis a story for another day, my friend"

"friend?" Xander's eyebrows rise in amusement

"would you prefer enemies?" I smirk lightly touching the pommel of my sword

Xander raises his arms in mock surrender

"I wouldn't stand a chance" he holds out a hand "friends it is"

I laugh as I shake his hand.

The boat docks and Xandern and I get off, our packs swung over our shoulders.

"So the quickest way to get to the tournament grounds would be?" He asks

"hmmm, we could trek across the tundra, through Sholazar and across Icecrown"

Xandern just stares at me before sighing

"wait here"

"wait where are you going" I ask

"just" he holds up a hand motioning to stay as he walks away.

I roll my eyes and sit on my pack resting my elbows on my knees and my face in my palms watching my breath freeze, I sigh, it's going to be a long day.


	2. finally

It felt like hours but finally Xandern returned with a skip in his step,

"Tarantis" he waved me over to him I sighed as my bones groaned as I stood.

"what" I growled as I made my way to his side

" you know, you really should be more user friendly"

"how about you wait outside until your bones freeze and then be asked to move"

Xandern just stared at me his eyes twinkling "smile little one, I found easy access to the crusade"

my mood perked up a little at that "oh really? How?"

"Mage portals" I felt myself pale

"portals you say?"

He stared at me "really, you're afraid of portals?"

"I'm not afraid, I just don't see the value in them..."

"surely you are jesting"

"well, no"

"I thought it was strange how you did not just portal to the grounds, you seem like you have been around awhile so I assumed you must have surely accumulated enough gold to buy one measly portal"

"of course I have, I could portal all of Stormwind's military if I wanted to"

He smiled " great then you can pay our mage friend for her efforts" He slapped me on the back leading me over to what looked like some recruitment tables

"Zaylie" he smiled at a small gnome lass,

"XAN!" she squealed causing me to cringe, I've never really liked gnomes their high pitched voices irritating my heightened elven hearing

Xandern noticing my discomfort hurried the conversation along "We have the money, one portal to the grounds please"

"coming right up" she giggled and began casting

To my relief the portal wasn't as bad as Zaylie's need to continuously talk, even if she did miss the location off by a few yards. Xandern and I were trekking up a snowy hill towards the tournament music both enjoying the silence of speech after surviving Zaylie's in detail description of what she had for breakfast.

The tournament grounds were intense, stalls and noise everywhere. I stifle a groan, so many people...so many pointless people. They weren't fighting the remainders of the scourge instead trying to lighten to coin purse of the champions and those who came to watch them participate.

Xandern was laughing,

"what?" I ask narrowing my eyes at him

"you could at least try to look friendly"

"but then that would give the wrong impression of me" I answer honestly causing him much to my confusion to laugh harder.

It took us longer than needed to reach the check- in tent because Xandern felt the need to look at every stall and compliment the owners on their wares ignoring my groans of displeasure.

"Look at this Tara, isn't it magnificent" He exclaimed holding out a beautiful sword, I had to admit it was stunning, though something looked wrong about it.

"Pass it here" I hold out my hands expectingly and Xandern hands the sword over triumphant for catching my attention.

I hold the pommel up to my eye and stare down to the tip, it looked legit.

"May I test it's durability?" I ask the shopkeep who was more than happy, expecting me to just wave it around or perhaps try some moves out with it. Instead I hold it out in front of me and reach behind to unsheathe my sword bringing it down to the offending sword shattering it.

Xandern lets out a grunt of surprise and the shopkeep wails, I crouch down to pick up one of the pieces and inspect it

"ah-ha just as I thought, the steel was mixed in with copper"

I turn to the shop keep who flinched under my glare "what if I was to buy your sword? Perhaps I was to use it to compete and it shattered against a beasts hide? Do you have any concern for the lives of those who protect you?" I gesture to myself "the lives of those competing so we may protect the likes of you?" I throw the shattered pommel onto the table and turn on my heel to walk out, Xandern following closely behind.

"Tara!" he exclaimed " that was a novelty shop"

"and?"

"the swords are not supposed to be legit"

I stop and stare at him "why didn't you tell me?!" I raise my hands

"maybe because, well I don't know, I did?"

I turn and storm up to the check in desk ignoring Xandern and his teasing

"name?" a human woman inquired

" Tarantis Gladerunner"

"age?"

I hesitate mentally trying to remember

"uhhhhh",I chew my lip

The human woman smiles " well you are an adult by human years correct?"

I laugh "I should be in the grave atleast ten times over in human years"

The woman laughs "it astounds me how your race can just forget their age"

I shrug "it all blurs together after your three hundredth"

"and you are?" she looks behind me

"Xandern Earthhill"

"age?"

"28"

I glared at Xandern and he just winked at me

"alright you two, you have been clarified, here are your room numbers and schedules" She saluted us and we proceeded on to what we assumed to be the housing for the recruits.

Everything was going great, things were finally moving along...until

"so who's your room mate?"

room ?.no.

"Elune, no" I groaned.


	3. NO!

**Sorry for this short update after being away for so long, alas I had school :c the bane of every teenager. But no matter, I have figured out where I am going with my stories, so stay tuned c:**

* * *

I look at the parchment in my hand and then to the number in brass hammered onto the door before me, room 48... I sigh. I make a move to knock politely before entering but think better of the action...better to show them who's boss before they even get the chance to introduce them self. I inhale a deep breath before practically swinging open the door and striding in, a venomous glint to my eyes. When I stop dead in my tracks, the sent of gnome practically marinating the room... and that's when I hear it

"Taraaaaaaaaa!" A painfully high pitched voice giggles. Zaylie.

My canines can't help but make an appearance as I feel myself snarling.

"Zaylie" I say through gritted teeth.

"oh-my-light-isn't-this-great-we-can-have-sleepove-"she takes a deep breath "rs-and-tell-secrets-and-oh-my-ligh-" I can't help it, my foot is moving before my brain can even tell it to stop. Next thing I know Zaylie is flying into the wall hitting it and then the floor with a solid thud. She is looking at me with a betrayed stare

"did you...did you just..punt me?" she asks, her bottom lip wobbling

"Uhh Zaylie...no don't do that" I hold my hands out in front of me as if I was trying to calm down a rabid dog, I hate gnomes and I hate criers.

"Why-hiccup- would- hiccup- you...d-do that" Oh Elune's grace must she?

"I'm um sorry I guess?" instantly the previous mess of gnome and tears jumps up and hugs my shin

"Oh I know you didn't mean it!" she giggles "come lets go to the food hall". I really don't want to but the growling of my stomach kills any chance of me being able to plead not hungry.

I hate gnomes. I hate their little pink marshmallow hair. I hate their nails down a chalkboard voice and I hate their over enthusiasm for EVERYTHING. I'm sitting there glowering, I can feel it. Not for the first time meeting my one day comrades but I can't help it, Zaylie is sitting across from me chattering more than ever. I thought maybe food would be the answer to my prayers but the little one really powers through. Garrosh can burn in hellfire, Zaylie is Azeroth's next threat. I spy Xandern entering the food hall and I instantly rise making my way to his side. Not noticing the small whisper of what I assume is a human male until Xandern introduces us.

"Ahh there she is" his soothing voice greets me "Aran, this is Tarantis" The small human boy looks up at me through under his brown hair.

"H-hi" he manages and I feel pity, this boy can't be more than 16.

"Grettings, Aran" I bow my head in greeting

"Aran was telling me he had never met a night elf before" I feel a grin splay across my face at the shade of red the boy's face goes.

"Do not be embarrassed lad, many of your kind can go their whole life without seeing one of my people, let alone talk to us"

Xandern laughs patting Aran on the shoulder " So Tara where's your rooma-" I slap my hand over his snout

"shhhh" I hush him desperately, Zaylie is attracted to talk of herself.

" here's a hint, small,pink and loud" I wince "very, very loud"

"no" he grins

"Yes" I whimper

Xandern begins to laugh a hearty laugh. One day, I'm going to kill this tauren.


End file.
